A drug dealer earning £250 a week supplying cocaine claimed he was trying to raise the cash to pay for an eye operation.

Kevin Walker said he had used the income to pay for an appointment with an eye consultant – jumping a year-long queue – and wanted to earn enough to fund his own eye surgery and beat an 18-month wait.

The 53-year-old was jailed after he admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and possessing amphetamine.

Rachel Knight, prosecuting at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, said police had raided his flat in High Street, Cymmer, on February 7 to find Walker along with a stash of drugs and money.

He tried to flush one bag of cocaine down the toilet – though the consignment was later retrieved – and police recovered another bag of cocaine and 6.4g of amphetamine, worth up to £35, the court heard.

The cocaine, totalling 38.47g, was worth between £1,000 and £1,500, the court heard.

That, along with the amphetamine and drugs paraphernalia, was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.

Peter Harding-Roberts, defending, said Walker – who has a previous conviction for supplying cocaine – had been paid £250 a week to sell the drugs.

He had used the money to see a consultant for his eye problem, cutting down the waiting time from a year to 24 hours, and was raising funds to have an operation to shave a further 18 months off his waiting time.

“His thinking processes are clearly flawed,” said Mr Harding-Roberts.

“Once the money was raised and he had had the operation he would not have done it any further.”

Judge Richard Twomlow jailed Walker for three years and four months and ordered him to pay a £120 victim surcharge.